DOI article:
Lang, Valter: Prehistoric and medieval field systems in Estonia
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49004#0088
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VALTER LANG
and a fragment of a grinding stone found in
the baulk belong either to the 1st millennium
BC or the first centuries AD. This date is
confirmed by the location of the Early Iron
Age stone graves at a distance of 500 m and
by the absence of cultivated fields here on the
late 17th century cadastral map.
The first locality with Celtic fields in Esto-
nia was discovered, however, already in 1982
by Lougas in Rebala (Lougas and Selirand
1989, 152). The field fences, merely stone
baulks, were preserved here in the vicinity of
the stone-cist graves of the early Pre-Roman
Iron Age. The field plots, less than ten in
number, were rectangular in shape, approxi-
mately 15-25 m long and 12-16 m wide. Char-
coal from a fire-place built in one of the
baulks was dated to the first century BC
(2020±60 BP, uncalibr.). This circumstance
proves that the baulk itself had to exist before
the fire-place was made, i.e. before the first
century BC.
5. Block-shaped fields
Several maps from the 17th-19th centuries
show the existence and use of so-called
block-shaped fields (e.g. Johansen 1925,
69-73, 75-76, maps B and C; Troska 1987,
fig. 5). Some of them have an extremely irreg-
ular lay-out resembling very much the Baltic
fields from the Late Bronze Age in their
shape and in the location of their boundaries
and clearance. The only difference can be that
the medieval parcels usually have bigger di-
mensions than the prehistoric ones. Some
other block-shaped fields have been more
regularly planned and they look like the Cel-
tic fields of the Early Iron Age. I have re-
cently found some localities on landscapes
with field remains of both subtypes and
started to investigate one of them, located at
Ilmandu (I), west of Tallinn (Fig. 1.3).4
In the surroundings of the neighbouring
villages of Rannamdisa, Ilmandu and Muraste
there are large alvar areas covered by field
remains of different types (mostly clearance
cairns and Baltic fields). During the extensive
amelioration of soils in the 1960s, many old
field boundaries, clearance cairns and single
stones were moved away. This happened in
Fig. 9. Trench in baulk No. 30 of Proosa (photo by
Enno Valjal). □ Suchgraben in Wall Nr. 30 von
Proosa (Foto Enno Valjal).
the field group of Ilmandu I, too, but the bot-
toms of stony and earthern baulks have been
preserved here, however, to quite a large ex-
tent. In October of 1994, the best preserved
part of this locality was mapped and one
baulk investigated by the excavation of a
trench.
VALTER LANG
and a fragment of a grinding stone found in
the baulk belong either to the 1st millennium
BC or the first centuries AD. This date is
confirmed by the location of the Early Iron
Age stone graves at a distance of 500 m and
by the absence of cultivated fields here on the
late 17th century cadastral map.
The first locality with Celtic fields in Esto-
nia was discovered, however, already in 1982
by Lougas in Rebala (Lougas and Selirand
1989, 152). The field fences, merely stone
baulks, were preserved here in the vicinity of
the stone-cist graves of the early Pre-Roman
Iron Age. The field plots, less than ten in
number, were rectangular in shape, approxi-
mately 15-25 m long and 12-16 m wide. Char-
coal from a fire-place built in one of the
baulks was dated to the first century BC
(2020±60 BP, uncalibr.). This circumstance
proves that the baulk itself had to exist before
the fire-place was made, i.e. before the first
century BC.
5. Block-shaped fields
Several maps from the 17th-19th centuries
show the existence and use of so-called
block-shaped fields (e.g. Johansen 1925,
69-73, 75-76, maps B and C; Troska 1987,
fig. 5). Some of them have an extremely irreg-
ular lay-out resembling very much the Baltic
fields from the Late Bronze Age in their
shape and in the location of their boundaries
and clearance. The only difference can be that
the medieval parcels usually have bigger di-
mensions than the prehistoric ones. Some
other block-shaped fields have been more
regularly planned and they look like the Cel-
tic fields of the Early Iron Age. I have re-
cently found some localities on landscapes
with field remains of both subtypes and
started to investigate one of them, located at
Ilmandu (I), west of Tallinn (Fig. 1.3).4
In the surroundings of the neighbouring
villages of Rannamdisa, Ilmandu and Muraste
there are large alvar areas covered by field
remains of different types (mostly clearance
cairns and Baltic fields). During the extensive
amelioration of soils in the 1960s, many old
field boundaries, clearance cairns and single
stones were moved away. This happened in
Fig. 9. Trench in baulk No. 30 of Proosa (photo by
Enno Valjal). □ Suchgraben in Wall Nr. 30 von
Proosa (Foto Enno Valjal).
the field group of Ilmandu I, too, but the bot-
toms of stony and earthern baulks have been
preserved here, however, to quite a large ex-
tent. In October of 1994, the best preserved
part of this locality was mapped and one
baulk investigated by the excavation of a
trench.